iPhone X: 4 things we would change

James Martin/CNET

Apple didn’t hold back on features for it’s 10th anniversary iPhone: a stunning OLED HDR display with barely-there bezels, a “Bionic” A11 processor, AR capabilities and a set of cameras that could rival a DSLR. But it also has some major drawbacks that will make even the most loyal Apple fan think twice before pulling the trigger on the iPhone X.

Price

We’re used to paying a premium for Apple devices, but this one may be a record. Apple may have tried to soften the blow by calling it $999 (£999 and AU$1,579), but it’s still a thousand-dollar phone. Tack on another $149 for the 256GB version if you plan on storing those beautiful 4K videos locally, the cost of a charging pad and to insure it all — you’re looking at a $1,400 price tag. Because even the Apple Care for the iPhone X is $50 more than previous models. We weren’t expecting the iPhone X to be cheap, but Apple at least could’ve kept it in line with the Plus model pricing.

Glass back

You’ll want to be extra careful with your thousand-dollar investment, because the iPhone X now has two breakable surfaces on which to drop it. The X may have a sturdier stainless steel frame, but it now has a glass back. Apple traded in the aluminum for a glass back on its three new iPhones to enable wireless charging. The company may be calling it their “strongest glass ever,” but that doesn’t make it shatterproof.

No Touch ID

Apple likes to get rid of buttons and ports on its devices. Last year it killed the headphone jack and this year it eliminated the home button. While most of us will gladly forgo a home button in favor of a bezel-less display, Apple should’ve at least kept the Touch ID as an alternative to the new FaceID. Maybe under the screen as early rumors had suggested. Unlocking the phone with your face may prove faster and simpler in time, but Craig Federighi’s demo fail when he first attempted to unlock his iPhone suggests otherwise.

Release date

But the biggest bummer about the iPhone X is that you won’t be able to get it until November, practically a lifetime in nerd years. And that’s assuming everything goes smoothly. Last year’s Airpods arrived months after the announcement and are still on backorder a year later.

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